I went out today and decided to start trying to throw a back roll. Everytime I tried, my body was flattening out like I was trying a Railey but on my back. Any tips on how to get the board to go up and over instead of just out. thanks in advance.

Come in on a progressive edge with alot of load on the line. This is fundamental. Without a strong load, pop, and release, it is a painful road. Dont be timid with it, charge it! As you release from the top of the wake let the board go up and away and turn you chin over your lead shoulder. Make sure you dont throw it early. Wait for the pop just like on a wake jump. Keep the handle at your hip. This will keep your axis up and down. if it is stretching you out, you probably have the handle up too high like right under your chin. You can lay out a huge backroll that way, but to learn it, keep the handle at your hip. Keep your eyes open. Find the water, then use your legs to adjust the roll speed to set it down. Pull you legs in to speed it up if your slow. Let your legs out if your spinning too fast. Good luck!

Jason, I was watching the Class in Session video last night and it looks like they are cutting right foot forward, and throwing their head to their left shoulder???? Anyway I feel most comfy with right ft fw so.....I throw my head over my my right shoulder????

Tried a few attempts on the tramp last night, I landed on my face 2x and once on the top of my head...Ouch neck pain today....the water has to be a softer landing.....LSF has me pumped to land this roll....Thanks for the input...

YES! If your cutting in Right foot forward you will turn your chin over your right shoulder. When I do switch backrolls (right foot forward since left is my natural)I come in hard and really get the board out there and turn my head hard to the right and put my chin on the right shoulder. Wait til you see the water, and spot the landing from there.

just like jason said, need to have a good progressive edge and wait for the pop. One tip that really helped me was to keep my elbows at my side the entire time. When I was learning I was letting my arms out and back in, which will change the rotation, making it hard to learn since nothing is consistant.

Thanks for the advice crew. I'll try throwing my head over my lead (right) shoulder next time out. To be honest I'm getting tired of landing on my back everytime I try a backroll. Hopefully it wont take too many failed attempts before I stick it.

i just wanted to add a couple of cents. if some of you think you might be having problems with the rotation, which is usually caused from trying to throw the trick too early, then you should think of initiating the rotation by pushing your board through the wake and over your head. Keeping you legs as straight as possible. a lot of times people don't do this trick right because they try and start the trick by throwing their upper body first (i.e. mexican backroll). resort to this info only after you have tried the above tips. trying to learn a trick by using someone elses words can be difficult without the help of visual aids. if this is your first invert, make sure you learn it right before you move on. it will make learning new tricks a lot easier. Reason being, if you have mastered this trick you will fully understand the terms: progressive edging, loading the line, standing tall, and you will know when to expect the pop when it is time to start your trick.

For backroll info and some other tricks...in the water and on the tramp check out this site...www.sportsid.com/sid2000/default.htm .. I think that this will work... check out the backroll on the tramp..Brannan Johnson.. They have all different kinds of sports you can check out. Good luck!

Fellas this can be made a whole lot easier. If you can do a front flip straight up on a tramp its the same thing. I ride right foot forward so when you cut in do it slowly but continously and keep the line very tight. When you pop off the wake just keep the handle at your hips and throw your legs back and your head down hard. Do not look over your lead shoulder as this will cause you to cartwheel and thus make it a sloppy front flip. Try to keep tucked most of the way through the flip just like on the tramp. Spot the landing and bend your knees to absorb the landing. Voila you have done a heelside backroll. I do this in comp all the time and it looks great. Good luck

Robby's discription sounds more like a Mexican backroll. I found learning to do it that way is harder. It is difficult to go big and do huge laid out backrolls throwning them mexican. It is also hard to learn roll to revert throwing it like that. However, a Mexican backroll is good to pick up later, because that is how you want to throw it when you ad backside spins to it like roll to blind and KGB. Check my profile to see the body postion of the laid out backroll. The one on the left was a regular backroll, the one on the right was a hs mobe, but the body position is still the same. Good Luck

Although I have not landed yet, I came very close my first try. You dont need to throw anything. Load the line and edge away from the boat at the wake and straighten out your legs, pushing hard. All you need to do is look over your lead shoulder. I basically followed whatb Shaun Murray said in detention. Hope this helps. I would also reccomend Detention, it is great.